Backyard Almanac

Our first-half-of-the-month-bears-no-resemblance-to-the-second-half-of-the-month pattern continues, with March setting a record of -19 at the onset and ending up with an average temperature in the 30s. Will April be any less erratic? Probably not. In 2013, we had 51" (that's fifty-one INCHES) of snow in April; in 2010, we had NO snow in April, and in 1952, the National Weather Service says we hit a record high of 88 degrees April 27th. What were we talking about last year at this time?

Piles of dispirited, dirty snow. Sand and grit on roads and sidewalks. Flotsam beached by the receeding snowpack. But Larry Weber, like his beloved redpolls, has returned to the Northland like a harbinger of Spring, and he has a lot more cheerful signs of the season for us to look for.

Phenologist Sparky Stensaas has been keeping journals and recording events in the natural world since he moved here in 1981. Flipping back through the pages, he saw entries for the first laker leaving Duluth under the lift bridge: 1997, March 20 ... 1999, March 17 ... 2001, March 17 ... 2002, March 21..." But even though the Duluth Seaway Port Authority said in a news release this week* that they'll start ice-breaking next Wednesday, the first laker probably won't be leaving any time soon. *"The

The Hawk Ridge Spring Migration Count has begun ... just don't look for it at Hawk Ridge. Oh, and Larry Weber isn't where you expect him, either. He's off to an Undisclosed Location, and we're delighted to welcome John Richardson, the count interpreter, as our Special Guest Star this morning. Information about where counters may be working, upcoming events and more can be found at the Hawk Ridge Facebook page or on their website .

It's March 1st, the first day of spring according to the meteorological calendar, and once upon a time (prior to 45 BCE), it was the first day of the year. But call it what you want, if nocturnal animals like flying squirrels are wandering around in the middle of the day trying to find something to eat ... there are a lot of other hungry beasties out there. (By the way, if you're curious about the whole March-ins-and-outs-and-lions-and-lambs thing, here's a fun article about it.)

The only thing better than the infographics on the National Weather Service Duluth's Facebook page are the comments. Apparently not everyone is as excited as Larry Weber about breaking our 80-year-old February snowfall record.

The average February snowfall total in the Northland is 6 inches. Now just halfway through February 2019 we have already seen over 28 inches of snow accumulation.

We've got more snow so far this month than we usually get in all of February. But the days are getting longer; Larry says we have ten hours of daylight now and by the end of the month, we'll have eleven. And between the deep snow (for hiding) and more light (for romance), things are hopping out in the natural world.

Larry Weber is (pardon the pun) pretty chill when it comes to temperatures in the double-digits below zero. How to avoid under-preparation and over-reaction this week on Backyard Almanac.

Larry Weber talks about wind chills and more as we head into a frigid weekend.

Larry Weber's feeling a little blue that the lack of snowfall (plus the icy crust on the snow we do have) means crummy conditions for animal tracks. He's still enjoying the regular seven birds who visit his feeders (plus, in Larry's case, the flock of wild turkeys), though (see photos above.) However, little did we know when we recorded this interview that the National Weather Service is now talking about a little lake effect snow in the Northland today into tomorrow morning . So perhaps all is

The earth is as close to the sun as it gets today -- and after the latest sunrise of the year (7:54am) , the sun will come out - tomorrow - a little bit earlier. Plus a wrap-up of December stats, the Christmas Bird Count and a trio of planets to enjoy in the southern sky.

Before yesterday it was looking to be one of the driest Decembers on record. However, yesterday's snowfall set a Northland record for that date. Larry Weber talks about the snowfall, what will happen to it when it turns cold in the next 24 hours, and what the snow means for area wildlife, such as ruffed grouse, snowshoe hares, and tiny rodents. The trees are particularly spectacular today. Venus, Jupiter and Mercury are very closely aligned right now in the pre-dawn sky. And on perihelion is

December may go down in the record books -- well, actually, it probably won't. It's been an utterly record-less month so far, not the driest or the warmest or the least snow. But Larry has finally seen some redpolls, and, of course, there's "Christmas in the Trenches."